Edward’s gang of rowdy friends and cronies, initially planning to confront William, were silenced by Piper’s stern reprimand.
The bar was already noisy, and Edward, with a flushed face, took a moment to finally grit his teeth and ask, “Mom, why are you here?”
Edward’s family was quite wealthy and he was known in school as the “heir.” But he was only a sophomore. Now, caught red-handed in the club by his mother and seeing the angry expression on Piper’s face, Edward was probably in for some trouble.
Standing amidst them, with Piper visibly angry, William tried to ease the situation, saying, “Sweetheart Piper, don’t be mad. He’s just a kid, there’s no harm in him having some fun.”
“You… you’re taking advantage of me, aren’t you?!” Edward was clearly frustrated. William calling his mother “Sweetheart Piper” seemed to him like a clear overstep.
William calmly replied, “What’s wrong with me calling your mother Sweetheart Piper? How is that taking advantage of you?”
Such words might have been better left unsaid. By saying it out loud, it seemed William was clearly pushing Edward’s buttons.
Piper had actually come to the bar to meet William, not expecting to run into Edward. When she heard William address her affectionately as “Sweetheart Piper” in front of her son, she couldn’t help but blush. Especially the way William said it; it felt like they were peers, possibly even friends or lovers. If they had gotten involved because of money the previous night, she might’ve just seen William as a fling. But now, his resilience and non-materialistic attitude had deeply attracted her.
Who said all men were the same?
Piper took a deep breath to calm herself, glanced at William, and said to Edward, “Edward, let me introduce you to my special friend. You can call him Uncle William. Now, apologize!”
The shock on the faces of Edward’s friends was palpable.
William seemed to be about the same age as Edward. Now Edward was expected to apologize and address him as “Uncle William”? Had something happened between William and Edward’s mother? This was beyond belief!
“Mom! What are you talking about? Why should I call him uncle?” Edward, clenching his fists, had initially come looking for Evelyn to develop their relationship. After seeing William, he had wanted to humiliate him. But now he had to address William as “Uncle William”?
Piper’s face hardened. “You don’t have to call him that! But it’ll cost you half a year’s allowance! And you won’t be driving your car either. That way, you won’t be out causing trouble!”
“Half a year? Why not starve me while you’re at it?” Edward retorted defiantly. “There’s no way I’m calling him that!” With a pause, he waved to his friends, “You all can leave. I’ll catch up with you another time.”
The group behind Edward hesitated. The lead friend murmured to Piper as he left, “Auntie, we’ll be going now…”
The rest chimed in with their farewells: “Auntie, we’re leaving.”
Piper, with a face like thunder, simply nodded. She couldn’t even be bothered to address them.
Once they’d all departed, Piper fixed Edward with a stare, asking coldly, “Edward, will you or won’t you?”
Typically, a middle-aged woman running into her son at a nightclub while with a younger man would be awkward. But Piper was no ordinary woman. Having battled in the business world for years, she cared little about others’ opinions. She had taken a liking to William, and age was just a number.
Especially when William’s “Sweetheart Piper” had made her heart flutter.
Edward looked deeply into William’s eyes, clearly conflicted. He knew his mother’s temperament. If he went against her wishes, she’d definitely cut his allowance and take his car away. Maybe calling William “uncle” wasn’t a big deal. Perhaps his mother’s interest in William was just a passing phase. Now, William might be riding high, but when the novelty wore off, he’d see what happened then.
It’s often said, “A wise man doesn’t take immediate losses!” After all, there was no one else nearby, the bar was so loud, and others wouldn’t be able to hear.
“Uncle William!” Edward tried to keep his voice down as he called out to William.
At this moment, he thought that even if it meant enduring a temporary humiliation, he would get his revenge someday. After all, what’s the big deal about calling William “Uncle William” once?
William raised an eyebrow, “What did you say? I didn’t hear it.”
Edward’s face darkened, thinking: Damn, this is more than just humiliation!
Piper scoffed, “You were pretty loud a moment ago. Why have you gone quiet now?”
Damn it!
Edward began to question if William had given his mother some kind of mind-control drug. Why was she siding with William?
William had always seemed ageless, like some ancient entity. In his eyes, although Piper wasn’t as young as a maiden, she wasn’t old either, still radiating a certain charm. Thus, he wouldn’t consider calling her something like “Aunt Piper.” Calling her “Sweetheart Piper” was mainly due to his current role as a bartender.
“Piper, don’t push the kid. If he doesn’t want to call me that, so be it.” William appeared generous, yet his cunning was fully on display.
Lately, he’s been less inclined to get physical, especially with average folks like Edward—an individual who grew up in a wealthy household, a typical “trust fund baby.” William had little interest in confronting him.
Piper waved at Edward, remarking, “Shouldn’t you be in school at this hour? Off you go! And be a bit more courteous to your Uncle William in the future.”
“Mom, I’m leaving then!” Edward genuinely felt some trepidation towards his mother. Throughout his life, Piper had been a force to reckon with. Now, instead of making a quick exit, was she planning to have a few more drinks with William? ｂｎ𝚘ｖ𝚕．𝚘𝚛𝚐
Without adding much, Piper waited for Edward to leave. Only then did she flash a smile at William, “William, let’s just sit here and enjoy a few drinks tonight. Just casual chit-chat, not too much drinking.”
When it came to holding her liquor, Piper truly believed she was no match for William. Furthermore, her desires for William had now transcended the physical.
She’d been contemplating all day, considering it a good time to gauge William’s feelings. Although he looked quite younger than her, he seemed to exude an irresistible allure.
He was young, but his eyes concealed depths of wisdom and world-weariness that even mature men rarely showed. How could such a man exist?
“Sure, let’s just sit and have a few drinks,” William replied. He had his fair share of female company. It wasn’t about being indiscriminate, but his current job was, after all, to drink with women.
Thinking back to courtesans of the past, even if the patrons were unattractive or rude, they still had to serve them, right?
Piper was relatively polite to him. Now he was just accompanying her for a drink. Why would he decline?
After sharing a drink, Piper tentatively inquired, “William, who else is in your family?”
William responded with a smile, “I’m an orphan, with no parents or siblings.”